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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. cap — of ice
  4. spell — a short time
  5. bass — low music
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. rush — hurry
  9. cap — a lid
  10. perch — the fish
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. bass — the fish
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. cap — a hat
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. spell — letters
  19. charge — a price
  20. charge — electricity
  21. charge — in control
  22. spell — magic
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. wax — to grow

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com